(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a deodorizer, and particularly to a deodorizer suitable for use in deodorizing relatively small spaces such as rooms.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
More and more attention has been paid to the improvement of the living environment in recent years. The primary concern has heretofore been directed to the toxicity of industrial waste from factories and the like to human. However, those giving unpleasant feeling have recently been being subjected to control. For example, offensive or unpleasant odor (hereinafter called "odor" for the sake of brevity) has been subjected to control. Its control has been carried out since 1974 in Tokyo, Japan.
As odor sources, there are many places such as kitchens and toilets in individual houses. Thus, a variety of deodorizers and deodorants have been proposed to deodorize rooms. However, thresholds of an average man or woman, in other words, concentrations at which such an average man or woman begins to recognize the presence of their corresponding odors are extremely low, i.e., 0.59 ppm for ammonia and 0.00065 ppm for methylmercaptan. Furthermore, there are many types of odors. It was hence unable to achieve sufficient deodorizing effects by these deodorizers or deodorants.
For example, activated carbon which is used most extensively as a deodorizer has selectivity in absorption of odors. This drawback can also be seen with refined vegetable oils, amino-acid base deodorants, chlorophyll-base deodorants and the like. Deodorizers in which odor components are oxidized with ozone produced by silent discharges have also been known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 12732/1984. Although these deodorizers exhibited deodorizing and sterilizing effects without need for replacement of deodorant, their effectiveness were limited to basic odors such as ammonia, and they were ineffective against neutral and acidic odors.